The Butler weekly times., 1887-08-03
The Honest Farmer.

3Sheu u DIlBuL iOOhilS ~.
sixteen years old as he came into the
Bell Office.
I'VE have to occasionally
Don't do it any more, it isn't the
truth, he isn't any more honest than
other folks.
.I've just got back from visit
out at my Uncle Georges place, and
I tell you my eyes are opened about
the honest farmer, and / always sup
posed my Uncle George was an extra
nice man, too.
''The day went out with him he
had a couple of old horses almost
700 lazy to move. He said himself
that they towed the first boat on the
Erie canal. Pretty soon he saw
neighbor coming about half mile
away and he began hitting those
horses cracks with the whip and
saving on the lines. He pounded
till he got them excited at last, and
then when he met the neighbor he
had his feet braced and acted as if
he could hardly hold them. He
stumped the man for trade and told
him they were new team of road
sters he had just bought and paid
$400 for. He said they were little
thin and needed some grain but they
would be all right then. The man
blowed just the same about his, but
they traded and / thought uncle had
got a pretty nice team; but before
he got home one of them baked, the
other tried to run away and they
both kicked over the dashboard.
Still uncle told me, confidentially,
that he calculated he beat the man
out of about fifty dollars.
well, we got there at last. At
supper one of my cousins said he had
taken up stray calf that day. Spot
ted one?' asked uncle Yes said
my cousin. Il reckon it's Carson's,
said uncle, Just rub little of that
lamp-black on the white spots and
turn it down in the back pasture
"After supper he took me out to
help him sack up load of wheat to
take to town the next day. Istarted
right at it. Hold on says he, it
amt quiteready yet Then he put
lot of fine sand into the wheat and
mixed it all up, about two quarts Of
sand to a bushel of wheat. Then he
held the sack and I shoveled. It was
almost half full when he said: Hold
on. Put four or five shovelsful from
that heap over there in now,' and he
pointed to pile of screenings, chaff
and poor wheat.
"'Did you give them other horses
that doap!' he asked my cousin.
YES says he. Ireckon that oughter
make 'em feel pretty good in the
an I'll drive 'em tomorrow
an see if I can't get rid of 'em. I'm
haid to keep 'em much longer for
fear they'll die on my hands Then
he looked at the new team and went
on: Bill, bring me that brush and
white paint Then he got over and
painted stars on their forehea6s and
gave them each two white feet and
then said: There, 1 low they'll
pass for new horses in the neighbor-
hood an I can get rid of 'em to
good advantage
We started from the house when he
turned to my cousin again and said:
Bill, I sold the old COW to the
butchers to-day an want to lead her
down in the morning That's good,'
replied Bill, she's SO old she can't
eat and don't give any more milk
Yes, said uncle, don't water her to-
night but give her the peck measure
full Of salt. She'll drink bout a
hundred pounds when she crosses
the creek tomorrow an Tn selling
her by weight Then my honest
Uncle George winked at me again.
"After we went in he said to Aunt
Martha: Jones the milkman saws
he's gettin' short on milk an wants
to get bout twenty quarts day of
US. Well make it 'boutIeight quarts
water an he'll put in a little an that